Boat&#39;s drydock



March 21, 1939. ROGERS 2,151,394

' BOATS DRYDOCK Filed July 22, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTOR N EYS C. L. ROGERS BOATS DRYDOCK March 21, 1939.

Filed July 22, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .QI'JIINVENTDR ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 21, 1939 lTE STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

The invention relates to a ship elevator, cradle and dock and more especially to a boat's drydock.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus of this character, wherein a boat floating in a body of Water can be drydocked with ease and. dispatch in that such boat can be bodily raised from the water to the necessary height for enabling repairs to be conveniently made below its water line.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus of this character, wherein the cradle for the boat is of novel construction in that it is susceptible of being automatically adjusted according to the hull size of the boat for the holding of the same in an upright position and firmly for execution of work thereon in accordance with necessities.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus of this character, which is simple in its construction, thoroughly reliable and eflicient in operation, susceptible of moving the boat docked from the way therefor in said apparatus, strong, durable, and inexpensive to manufacture and install.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose the preferred embodiment of the invention and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through a water bed showing in part elevation the drydock constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan View.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings in detail, A designates a portion of a water bed and B a body of water of a depth for the floating of a ship and built in association with the bed A is the drydock constituting the present invention and hereinafter fully described.

The drydock comprises a fluid-operated raising and lowering plunger Ill vertically disposed and telescopically fitted within a fluid cylinder I i countersunk in the bed A and this cylinder, which is closed at its bottom and open at its top, has formed at the open top an out-turned flange l2 resting upon a base slab l3 through which projects the body of the cylinder II and such slab is partly embedded in the bed A, as is clearly shown in Figure 1 of the drawings.

Opening into the cylinder II are the pipes l4 and i5, respectively, each being valved at l6, and such valves are of the hand operated type. These 5 pipes I4 deliver and discharge fluid I! under pressure to and from the said cylinder for the operation of the plunger l0 which is movable through the body of water B for raising and lowering activity. At the upper end of the plunger I0 is fixed an elongated cradle I8 having at its longitudinal median a substantially V-shaped keel groove i9 and this cradle accommodates the ship C with the keel of its hull seated in the groove it so that when the plunger is operated the ship can be raised and lowered.

Carried by the cradle l8 at opposite longer sides thereof and projected laterally therefrom are midway and outer brackets in the form of arms 2i} and 2|, respectively, to which are pivoted opposed fluid-operated jacks 22, their plungers 23 being pivotally connected to bracing links 24, which are pivoted at 25 to bearings 26 formed on the cradle i8, these bearings being located adjacent to the keel groove !9 and the hydraulic jacks 25 22 are operated in any suitable manner. The purpose of the jacks 22 is to hold the hull of the ship C vertically upon the cradle l8 and also to allow the quick dismissal of the ship from the cradle for the floating thereof on the body of 30 water B or to move the said ship off the drydock hereinbefore described.

The braces formed by the links 24 make contact exteriorly with the hull of the ship C when supported upon the cradle l8, as is clearly disclosed in Figure 1 of the drawings.

What is claimed is:

l. A drydock of the character described comprising a fluid operated perpendicularly arranged raising and lowering plunger, an elongated cradle fixed to the upper end of said plunger and having a keel way, vertically swinging arms pivoted to the cradle at opposite sides of the keel way for engaging a ships hull when resting in the way, piston cylinders pivoted to said cradle at a dis- 5 tance outwardly with relation to said arms, pistons working within said cylinders for reciprocation therein and having pivotal connection with the said arms, a fluid cylinder having the plunger telescopically movable therein, and means for delivering fluid to and from the said piston cylinders.

2. A drydock of the character described comprising a fluid operated perpendicularly arranged raising and lowering plunger, an elongated cradle vfixed to the upper end of said plunger and having tion therein and having pivotal connection with the said arms, a fluid cylinder having the plunger telescopically movable therein, means for delivering fluid to and from the said piston cylinders,

and means for delivering and releasing fluid to 5 and from the fluid cylinder, 7

V CLIFTON L. ROGERS.- 

